Older adults experiencing polypharmacy preferred to continue their non-prescription products during a card sorting activity

Abstract

Objectives To explore the extent to which adults 65-years and older who reported taking 10 or more non-prescription products were interested in deprescribing. Methods During an online semi-structured interview, participants were asked to imagine their primary care provider raised the idea of deprescribing. Participants sorted each prescription and non-prescription medication into a category: continue, stop or lower (deprescribe), or unsure. Findings were summarized using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Key findings Participants (n = 15) were interested in deprescribing 6% of the non-prescription medications (n = 12/207). Conclusions Older adults were resistant to deprescribing non-prescription products.

Elevating Safe Use of Over-The-Counter Medications in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Pharmacy Involved Interventions and Recommendations for Improvement

“…Ibuprofen and naproxen are NSAIDs that due to their increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding should not be used long-term unless the patient is taking a gastroprotective agent such as a proton-pump inhibitor or misoprostol [39]. Despite the potential risk of misuse, older adults are reluctant to stop or lower the dose of their medicines, and when asked would only consider stopping 6% of their OTC medications [48].…”